Scoring apparatus and the like



April 16, 1935. w. HUMPHREYS 1,997,933

SCORING APPARATUS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 29, 1951 3 Shets-Sheet 1 Fr l V/s/rops I IN'ENTOR.

W/W fl fl LATmRA/Ex p il 16 1935. w. HUMPHREYS 11,997,933

SCORING APPARATUS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 29, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEK IN VEN TOR.

Patented Apr. 16, 1935 warren snares PATENT GFFICE 1,997,933 SCQRING APPARATUS AND THE LIKE William Humphreys, Fullerton, Pa. Application January 29, 1931, Serial No. 512,228

10 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in scoring apparatus and the like,-having particular reference to a novel device for tabulating the scores of basketball and other games while the same are in progress, although manifestlythe invention is susceptible of other specific uses.

Basketball, as is well known, is probably the fastest of our American games. Points are frequently registered with such rapidity that even the most attentive scorer has dirficulty in keeping the spectators informed, through the scoreboard, as to the points registered by the contending teams. Where the score-keeping is handled by one person, points are apt to be made while his back is turned momentarily for the purpose of lo marking the board, or hanging up a number plate thereupon. Usually, it is necessary to have two or more individuals on the task of running the score board, and even then there will necessarily be a substantial interval between the time a point is made and the time it is recorded on the board.

With the foregoing in mind, it is the primary object of my invention to provide a novel scoring apparatus which can be adequately manipulated by one person to instantaneously display the points of the contending teams immediately they are made, and the use of which does not necessitate the operator taking his eyes off of the game,

-the net result being that an accurate up-tothe-minute score is available at all times.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind which is simple in construction, strong and durable, there being no delicate or complicated mechanisms to get out of order, and which is easy to operate.

A further object of the invention isto furnish a pair of adjacent sets of indicia plates or the like, one of which may indicate units and the other tens, there being employed means for successively displaying the unit plates, and means operable upon the completion of the display of unit plates, for efiecting the display of one of the tens plates.

45 A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of a pair of adjacent sets of indicia plates, of which one set may indicate units and the other tens, there being associated with said sets of plates independent means 50 for each set for holding its plates in stack-like relationship so that but one plate of each set will be displayed at a time, and a single means operable to return one or both of the stacks of plates to their original or starting positions.

Still anotherobject of the invention is to provide a scoring device which manually, or mechanically.

The invention also resides in certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of the various parts and in various 5 modes of operation and use,-all of which Will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading or" the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings.

It is to be understood, of course, that theinvention is susceptible of various mechanical expressions within the spirit and scope of the subject matter claimed hereinafter. The disclosures herein are to be taken as illustrative rather than limitative,--the limits of the invention 15 to be interpreted from the claims considered in the light of the prior art.

In the drawings, wherein the same reference characters have been used to designate the same parts in all views,-

Figure l is a partly broken front elevational view showing a basketball scoring device incorporating my invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through one of the units and drawn to en- 2 larged scale;

Figures 3 and 4 are detailed sectional views of a bracket and showing different positions of a plate holding and ejecting element carried thereby;

Figure 5 is a group perspective view of the bracket and certain parts of the plate holding and ejecting element;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view showing means for ejecting a plate of one stack through actuation of a plate of an adjacent set; and

Figure 7'is an enlarged front elevational view of the plate returnmeans.

Referring specifically to the drawings by reference characters, numeral 2 designates an elongated plat-e-like base which is preferably of metal, and is adapted to be prominently positioned in the gymnasium for service as a basketball score board.

As shown, there are panels A, B indicating the home and visiting teams, and opposite which are the respective sets of scoring devices. The panels A, B may be integral with, or suitably secured to the base plate 2.

Since the sets of scoring devices for the respective teams are exact duplicates, a description of one will sufiice for both.

The apparatus for displaying the score of the may be operated home team includes a pair of L-shaped brackets 3, 4 secured to the base plate 2 and having their horizontal arms bifurcated at their ends as indicated at 3 4 Bearings 5, secured as at 5 and located below the brackets 3, 4 serve to rotatably journal the shaft 3 which pivotally supports the adjacent sets of units plates 1 and tens plates 8. The intermediate plates of each stack or set 7, 8 have the twisted bearing members 7 8 which are secured to the plates at relatively different points so as to nest, so as to speak upon the shaft 3 between relatively enlarged bearing portions T 3 of the outermost plates of said,

stacks. The last-mentioned bearing portions serve to protect the intermediate bearing portions l 8*. V

The adjacent bearings l 8 are spaced on said shaft 5 by means of a bushing, or collar 9, as clearly shown inthe drawings.

An inspection of Figure 1 of the drawings will indicate that the retaining and releasing mechanisms for the sets or stacks of plates l, 8,and

which are carried by brackets 3, 4,--are exact duplicates with the exception that one is operated through pull cord l9, and the other by the lever 24 on shaft 26.

Referring to theplate retaining and releasing .mechanism of bracket 3, it will be noted that a tripping lever if! is pivoted upon pin Ii rotatably mounted in the end bifurcation 3 of bracket 3.

The lever itself has a lineal bearing recess it -for receiving the intermediate bearing portion of'a double armed dog i2 which may be formed integral with the pin H and, of course, rockable relatvely of the lever 50.

A leaf spring i3 secured to lever H! as at [3? and bearing against the dog arm i2 serves to hold same against the lever and the other dog arm l2 spaced from the tripping, or nose portion lo of the lever.

The coil spring I4 serves to normally hold the lever iii in the position shown in Figure 2, one end of the spring being anchored, as at W to a pin of the lever and the other end to the pin M in the slot' Hi (see Fig. 5) at one side of the outer end portion of the bracket 3.

Interengaging stop pins I5, l6 (see Figs. 2 and 5) ofcthe lever l0 and bracket 3, respectively, serve to limit movement of the lever under the influence of the coil spring i4.

,1 Obviously, from the construction shown and described, the arm iZ of dog i2 will normally engage the lipped top of the foremost plate I to prevent it from swinging downardly in acounter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2. However, it is equally plain that the plates 1 may be swung in a clockwise direction past the dog arm i2 rocking the dog against the action of the leaf spring I3, as shown in Figure 4.

It is also manifest that a consecutive one-at-atime release of the number plates '1 will be effected by the nose lo or tripping portion of the lever, upon oscillation of the same in a clockwise .direction against the action of the coil spring I4. (Note how rear of nose ifl (Fig. 3) retains succeeding plates while outer one is being tripped.)

A pull cord l9 secured to the outer end of the lever 56 (Figure 2) may be used to manipulate the same. As shown, the cord passes out through the guide bore in the threaded sleeve 23* of the bracket screw 20, Whose rear or head portion has the flaredrecess to prevent undue wear on the pull cord i9.

To assure the feeding of the rearmost plates 1 to the tripping nose Ill and dog arm iz I corresponding to tripping member Ill for plates 7, for progressively tripping and releasing the plates 8. A machine screw 25 retains the lever 24 on shaft 26.

The depending tripping lever 24 has a pin 24 which engages behind a pin 28 of shaft 26. Thus, it follows that when the rear unit plate I is actuated outwardly, its lateral arm 23 moves the loose lever 24 outwardly. This outward movement causes pin z l of loose lever 24 engaging the fixed radial pin 28 of shaft 26 to rock such shaft 26 to throw the plate engaging lower end or nose of tripping member 30 outwardly to re- 7 leasethe outer plate 8. on the shaft '26 its nose portion will obviously kick outward the outer tens number plate 8..

It is to be noticed that the lever 39 must be fast on the shaft 26, whereas the lever in of the bracket 3 may be loose on its pin or shaft H. Except for this point, the lever arrangement of bracket 4 is the same as that of the unit bracket 3. Lever 33 has the dog 3| and its leaf spring 32, the coil spring 33, etc. 7

Referring again, momentarily, to the depending lever 2 i,-it will be seen that the coil spring 2? which encircles the end of the shaft 26 has one end anchored to pin shaft pin 28 and the other Since the lever 30 is fast 2G is moved outwardly as explained above. How- 3 ever, it will be clear that spring 21 will permit the lever 24 to swing rearwardly and permit the lateral arm 23of rear plate 1 to brush past when the assemblage of unit plates 1 is forced back to the position of Figure 2. The means for returning the unit plates 1 to starting position will now be described.

Mounted on the shaft 6 and separating the innermost pairs of plate arms l 1* and 8 8 are the'arms 3.") and 36% ofthe U-shaped rear ends 35 36 of plateactuating levers 35, 36. Shaft 6 has the lineally spaced and aligned radial pins 31, (see Figs. 1, 2, and '7) whose function will be presently apparent.

. The lever 35 is adapted tobe operated to return unit plates 1 to their starting position shown in Figure 2, and lever 36 has the same function as to the ftens plates 8.

Plate return lever 35,'when shaft 6 is turned in a clockwise direction (Figure 2) is actuated immediately through the coil spring 38 which is on shaft 6, and which spring 33 has its ends operatively engaged withthe' bottom portion 35 of lever 35 and an intermediate loop 39 engaged about pin 31 extending from-the intermediate portion of the shaft 6.

The advantage of the actuator spring of plate return lever 35 will be presently apparent; Allowing for slight give in the spring 38, the arm 35 will have returned the plates '1 to starting position when the shaft has been rotated about'260 degrees, at which time the other shaft pin 35 will be about to engage-the rear portion 36 of lever 38 toxactuate it to returnthe plates 8 to the position-of Figure 1.

The shaft 6 is adapted to. be actuated: in a clockwise direction: (Figure 2 by means of the pull cord M which is Wound several times around the pulley), the latter being fast on the shaft 6. The pull cord 4! is led rearwardly through the guide bushing 42, as shown;

The plate return lever 381is actuated'to return the plates 8: to. tripping lever and dog 3|, by means of the pin 415' of shaftfi which will come into engagement withthe rear endi3li of such return lever 36asshown-in dotted lines inFig-ure 7', after the shaft S has beenrotated approximately 270?. During this approximately 270 period ofrotation of shaft 6, the plate return. lever: 35.will have returned the plates: 1. to starting position. However, the spring 38, of course, permits the shaft 6 to be turned until both. pins 3] and 45 are bearing against the plates I, 8 in their upstanding or starting position shown in Figure 2 as per dotted lines, Figure 7.

It should here be observed are alined on the shaft 6.

In practice, the plates 7 representing the units and which are numbered from 0 to 9 will be tripped, one at a time as the scores are made. The tripping of the 9 unit plate I releases the 0 plate of the tens stack 8 through arm 23 depending lever 24, shaft 26, tripping lever 30 etc. Therefore,as soon as the 9 unit plate I has been tripped, the scorer will pull sufficiently on the pulley cord 4| to actuate the plate return lever to return the unit plates 1 to starting position so as to re-expose the 0 plate thereof. Thus the score will show that the home team has ten points.

As has already been stated the scoring apparatus of the visiting team, (panel B) is identical with that described above and is separately operable. However, it is to be understood that the respective pulley shafts 6, 6 are normally actuated in a counter-clockwise direction (see Figure 1) by means of strap portions 50 extended about spool elements 5! keyed to the opposite ends of said shaft 6, B from the pulleys and connected by a coil spring 52. The purpose of this is to normally maintain the two sets of levers 35, 36 in their respective inoperative positions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. A scoring device or the like comprising a base, a plurality of superposed indicia-bearing members, means for movably supporting said members, a holding member carried by said base and having a portion engaging the outermost one of said indicia-bearing members for maintaining it in display position, and positively acting ejecting means yieldably connected to said holding member and operable upon said outer indicia member for moving same to non-display position upon release of said holding member.

2. A scoring device or the like comprising a base, a plurality of superposed indicia-bearing members, means for movably supporting said members, a holding member carried by said base and having a portion engaging the outermost one of said indicia bearing members for maintaining it in display position, and positively acting ejector means yieldably connected to said holding member and operable upon the movement of said holding member from effective position to eject the outermost indicia-bearing member, said ejecting means having a portion for holding succeeding inthat the pins 31,

diciaamembers. while the holding means is out of position.

3. A scoring device or the. like comprising a base, a plurality of superposed. indicia-bearing members, means for movably supporting said members, a holding member and an ejecting member movably carried by'said base, said holding member having a holding portion engaging the outermost one of said indicia-bearing members for maintaining. it in display position,.an

ejector portion carried by said ejector member andnormally located in backzof the-indicia member which is. outermost, said" holding member being yieldable toward said ejecting member, and means tending to maintain the ejector member in inoperative position and the holding member inoperative position.

4. A scoring device or the-like comprising a base, a pair of adjacent sets of superposed indiciabearing plates, means for movably supporting said plates, a separate holding member for each of said sets of plates and carried by said base, each holding member having a holding portion engaging the outer plate of each set for maintaining it in display position, and means operable upon release of the last plate of one set for actuating said holding member of the other set to release the first plate thereof.

5. In a scoring device, the combination of separate sets of releasable scoring devices, separate means operable for returning the devices of each set to starting position, and yielding means common to both'of said separate return means and tending to maintain same in inoperative position, and a single operating means for said separate means.

6. A device of the class described comprising a base, a shaft journalled upon said base, separate sets of superposable plates spaced in the direction of the length of said shaft, said plates having bearings on said shaft and adapted to be stacked above the same in a. plane substantially parallel with the plane of the base, a pair of brackets carried by said base, each bracket having an arm extending outwardly from said base and adjacent one of said sets of plates, lever members journalled in said arms, each lever member having a. plate-ejector portion normally adapted to engage behind the plate which is outermost, a keeper dog swingably secured to said lever member and yieldable toward said ejector portion, said keeper dog being adapted to engage the front portion of the particular plate which is outermost to maintain the same in display position and those behind in stacked relationship, yielding means acting upon said lever for holding said keeper dog in operative position and said ejector portion in inoperative position, and means operable by the ejection of the rear plate of one of the sets from its display position for actuating the lever of said other set to eject the outer plate thereof from display position.

7. In a device of the class described a base, a shaft journalled thereon, means for rotating said shaft, separate sets of swingable plates arranged to be actuated to stacked superposed relationship at one side of said shaft, a pair of arms loose on said shaft and arranged to actuate the respective sets of plates to stacked relationship, and means on said shaft for actuating said respective arms to plate stacking position at different points in the rotation of said shaft.

8. In a device of the class described a base, a shaft journalled thereon, means for rotating said shaft, separate sets of swingable plates arranged .to be actuated to stacked superposed relationship at one side of said shaft, a pair of armsl'loose on said shaft and arranged to: actuate the respective sets of plates to stacked relationship,- separateactuating means on said shaft for actuating the respective arms to plate stacking position upon rotation of said shaft, and, one .of said arm actuating means being arranged tovoperate in connectionbetween said arm and shaft;

9. A. scoring device or the-like comprising a base, a pair of adjacent setsof superposed indiciaadvance of the. other and including a'yielding bearing plates, and having holding and releasing means for movably supporting said plates, separate plate return members for each'set of plates and carried. by said plate-supporting means, a

ing one plate returnmemberand another subsequently acting means adapted to engage and operate the other plate return member.

10.,A scoringdevice or the like comprising a base, a plurality of superposed indicia bearing -members, means for movably supporting said members, a combined ejecting andholding means movably carried by said base and having a forwardly extending holding portion. normally engaging the "outermost o'ne'of said indicia bearing members for maintaining it in display position,

said combined ejecting and holding means having an ejector portion normally located in back of the indicia member which is outermost, and

said holding portion being yieldable toward said ejecting portion whereby to enable indicia-bearing members to brush rearwardly past the same.

WILLIAM Hui/rename.- 

